Christen Industries S-2B accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 23, 1997
On November 23, 1997 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Christen Industries S-2B, registered N317JK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The undetermined malfunction of the right brake and the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout. A factor was the quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1997 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Christen Industries S-2B
- Registration
- N317JK · registry record · serial 5203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane had rolled about 500 feet after touching down on runway 08. When he applied brake pressure to the right wheel, there was no response. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed. Postaccident examination of the airplane disclosed that the right main landing gear assembly sustained major structural damage. The right main landing gear brake assembly was also damaged, and a functional check of the brake assembly was not possible. The left brake assembly was not damaged and functioned normally. There was a quartering tailwind at the approximate time of the landing. Runway 8 is 6001 feet long and 100 feet wide.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,195 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,023 as pilot in command; 380 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 1997; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-04A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from FXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.